Caster for beds, operating-tables, and the like.



' D. K.'HALL.

GASTBR POR BEDS, OPERATING TABLES, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 26, 1913.

*' Patented Mar. 30, 19151 rauenrrr4 unieron nwrenr n Hannon eos nur, 'nn'wvironm Assmnon 'ro FRANK a. HALL, or Monronnrn- New JERSEY.

casrnn non Buns, ornnairraie-Taennsnnn THE LIKE.

To all Iwhom i may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT KIMBALI; HALL, 'acitizenof fthe' United States of America, andi resident of .Goshen, in the county of Orange and 'State ofllew York, 'whose post-oiice'address is Goshen, Orange county, New York, have ,invented-pertain new and useful improvements in Casters for Beds, Operating-Tables; andA theA like,` of which the following is'aspeif'ication.

rllhis invention relates to casters for beds,

i operating tables and the like, and its novelty consists in the construction and adaptation of the .iparts as will be hereinafter pointed .One'of' the ohjec'ts-thereof'is to provide axde'v'ice ofithis' class characterized by simplieity, rigidity andre-liability 'of construe- .tio 1i,e`ase` of operation, flexibility ofmanip- -ulation, andthe' presence of a 'minimum number of partsl Other objects and aims of thel invention,

more or less broad than those stated above, together with lthe advantages inherent, will 4bein part obvious and in part specifically referr'ecl'jto in the course ofthe following "descriptionl of the "elements, combinations, arrangements' 'of parts, and'applications of 'principles constituting; the invention and the scope of protection contemplatedfwill appear from the claims.

. Referring now'to'th'e accompanyingdr'awing; which is tobe taken as a part of this specification, 'and a wherein there shown *one of the various possible embodiments of this invention: Figure l view in eleval ption, partly'brolen away andl partly in seotion, showing said, embodiment associated with the leg of a bed, table or the like and also showing said embodiment in one7ad justment; and Fig. 2 s a Vview in elevation, lwithathe parts 'shown' in Fig. 1, looking in 'the 'direction of :the arrow` 3, and showing idottnd'das'h lines thev positions which cer- 'fain ofthe parts assume when'in another adjustment.

Before 'describing the said'embodiment, it should be understood that one of the same may Vbe asspciate'd withthe' legs of a bed, able'ofthe like". @ne of these legs is shown in the drawing at 4, and is'here seen to be preferably partially or wholly tubular so that it may cooperate with the present embodiment in the manner hereinafter de sie'cifcamnftuersmehr.-' 'Patent-ea raar. eo, reis. application' meaneember 2e,- 1fe1a *serial no; eoeg'ia l Referring now to the details of construc- 'tionv of said embodiment, these vinclude a main frame, whicli'in the present instance comprises a shank 5 integral with abifurcated offset arm 6. Carried -by said arm, as shown, is 'a wheel or caster 7V which. may have upon its periphery atire'S formed of #rubber -or other suitable material.' 4Shank 5 Iis'ai'il'a'lly bored 'throughout its length', and is1counterbored vadjacent arm '6 a's is best shown in FigpL Thel bore and counterbore 'just mentioned -acuznnmodate Va rod-like member which includesxaV main portion 9, a redueed upper' extension 10,'a foot portion ll at its lower end, a transverse slot l2, and a transverse aperture 13 at its upper end.

This rod-like member may be termed the foot or support of the device, since the same acts when adjusted as hereinafter described yto'performthe functionsof a supporting foot-for the bed, table or the like. Foot 1l may carry a buffer or tip 14,' formed of rubber or any-,other suitable material.

' An 'fexpa'nsil'e'Y spring l5V is coiled about that Vportion of extension -10 which vprojects .above shank 5', and in such a way that one terminus of the spring bears against the top y16 ofthe shank, while the-other terminus fof'. the sp'ring engages the aperture 13'. It -will'be seen that-` where main portion 9 merges. into the `reduced extension l0, there is established* an annular shoulder 9, and that v'there is a similar annular shoulder .within-shank 5 adjacent the upper terminus 'ofthe counter-bore. It will be clear that the two-shoulders just mentioned will cooperate to.- prevent the expansile action of spring l5 vl'elevating to too great an extent'the foot 111.

.-"Fivotally mounted within slotlZ' i's a double-acting cam member.' which; includes a' cam surface (shown in elevation in Fig. 2 vas extending' between thep'oints er and B),

'the arm 17, and the arm 18..

one'of'thed'evic'es herein illustrated'. Non

nia'lly,` 'when each wheel 7 rests upon the itlo'or. 7', the .parts are in the.I full-line posi;- 'fti'ons shown; .lin these positions, each-anni `.li'fiselevated andeaeharm 1.1 8 is depressed y as shown iii Fig. 2.V -Each foot '11 is thus maintained in 'elevation above the ioor 7'.,

associated therewith, the axis of each of the` legs will always be in line with its foot 11, whether the latter be in itsfelevate'd vposition (as shown infulllines) orin' its floor-contacting position (as shownv'in dotted lines at 14). Now, supposing' that'the bed has -been movedto' theplace where it is `to'be employed, and it is lthen desired to lift the presses ldownwardly'with his footupon the arm 17 `oi each device present, vand thus swings .each 'cam-surface -A---B `to thev loca-f tionf illustrated by the dotted line of Fig. 2. ,il-twill be seen that the pointB, which isuat the'. end of a substantially straight-line por- 4tion' ofthe cam surface, acts as a stop to comeinto abutmentfwith slot d2, thereby to". limit the 'degreel to which its arm 17' can be "depressed .This 'operation of cam surface .iA-.B irst-lowers foot 11 luntil tip! 14 descends .-into contact with fioor"7 (as vindicated lat 14"), and next, vsince foot 11.-can not descend farthenfelevates the wheel 7 adistance fst above theiloorinecessarytoallow said 'cam ysurface to be vfinally establishedas shown-in dottedlines in .Fig.j2.y Theamo'unt of this elevation of .wheel 7 obviously :equal to .the .perpendicular-distance between theull fi?) v'line and the dotted-line of the floor4 in- Q '.dica'ted in Fig. 1, forifthe full lineiloor .7!.-werel removed beneath a tip 14,- l said. tip would :descend below the floor level to the location 'shown in dottedA lines at 141'?.

oor,"assuming the parts to be in the dottedline fposition of Fig. 2," the operator laces his oct .uponeach arm 18 and pus es it downward, whereupon cam surface A`B, shownvin dotted lines, is returned to the osition shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Rt-

I-, t'e`ntion is called tothe fact that when the cam member associated with each leg is adjusted to the dottedlocation-shown in Fig.

v main. portion 9,"and all strains'are `longitudinally received'thereby; resulting an important coupling/of simplicity and mini- .muin .dimensions with great rigidity and strength. f Inasmuch Vinthe above construction, 'and many apparentlywidely different' embodiments of my invention couldbe made without departing `c5 fromthe scope thereof,.it-is intended that derstood that the language used in the fol- It should also be noted in passing-that-ir-i i ing one of said parts-.relatively of the other wheels from 'fthe-Hoor; Vthe operator merely" Within the frame. aqdeviceof combination with a leg of a bed, table orthe Whenit is desired to reset the wheels on. the lower? endfa" shank loosely sleeved by the .tub ular portion of said leg and having la vertical. or longitudinal bore, amember off- 2,fall stresses are directed vlongitudinally :of y

as many changes could be made' all matter Y' contained' in the above descrip- "tion o r shown inv the accompanying drawings-shallpbe interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be un- 7o lowing claims is intended `to cover all the generic and specific `features of the-invention herein ,described and all statements of the scope'of theinvention which, as a matl ter of language,'might be said-to fall there- 75- between.

' l. In a-device ofthe classdescribed, combination, a caster frame, a .supportmovable Within. the frame, andmeans' for mov- '30 including a cam. c -`,"-2.In ay device of' the class described, in combination, a-caster frame, a support mov'- able withintlie` frame, and means for mv- `85 ing onexoi said. arts' relatively of the other including a` dou lei-acting cam.

,3. 'Ina deviceof the `class described, 'in combination, a-c'asterirama a support movable within the frame, and means for movif'ng one of said parts, relatively'of the other including a cam and including anoperating extension carried by the cam.

V./l'.-In.a device of the class described, rin combination, acaster'frame, a supportv mov- 95 able within the frame, andvmeanszfforfmov- .ing oneof saidparts relatively of the other including a camand including -a` plurality of operatingegiten'sions carried by thevicam.

-j-l5. In afdevice ofthe class*described, in tibo combination', a caster frame, a supportl movablecW-ithin-.the frame, means for moving Ione of said. partsrelatively ofthe :other nlfcludingav cam, andr spring-means tending 't';\.-m'aintain` saidy support predeterminedly 105 the class described, inA

.like,'said leg being `tubular adjacent vits Q combination with a legfofa bed,table or the like, "said leg being.,tubu1ar adjacent its lower'end, a shfanlcloosely sleeved by thetubillar portion of said leg and having a vertical r or' longitudinal bore,', a member offset from said shank, a`wheel.revolubly-.mounted in said membema rod-1ike`support reciprocably accommodated- Within said bore, operating meansfor said support, andspringmeans vtending t raise saidfsupport.

8, In a dev ceof the class describedin combination with .alegof a bed, table orithe like, said leg being tubular adjacent" its 13o 10 portion and a reduced upwardly extending prolongation ofthe main portion, s aid rodlike member, being lreciprocablv accommofdated within said shank whereby said mainA vi i lower end, a loosely sleeved-bythe tubular-.portion of said leg and having a vertical or longitudinal b ore which is coun?i terbored, adjacent the lower portion of'aid shank, a bifurcated member oiset/romsaid shank, a* wheel revol'ubly mounted in said. member whereby the periphery of said" wheel is always oilset from the axis of said leg, a rod-like' member includingV a` main portion of Said member jis vertically'`- slidaole within the oounterbore andv whereby said reducedupwardly extending prolongal ,tion-is slidably accommodated within Qsaid bore and projects above-said shank, an expansile spring --coilediabout said projecting prolongation of said member and restrained between the free endof said member and the -upper portion of said'shank, said mainpor tion of, said member carrying a transverse `slot, a double-acting cam pivotally ymountedf v within said slot: and movable to two 'pos-V tions, said camgincl'uding a pluralityo'of'ay set extensionsfone of which is'adaptedto `operate thev cam when-the latter is' one l combination, a caSter ram'e,-Ya`

position, and the-other 'of vwhich `'extensions is" adapted-to operate the cam whenthe latf ter is 1n anotherposition.

9. nr a device' of the classfdescribed, in f fsjfpportmovable within theframe, 'means or'moving onerof said-partsfrelatively to the other,

-and spring meanstending to maintain said support in a predetermined'position lwithin the frame.

10.1111 a device ofthe class described, i

combination, a caster frame including a vsha1'1k,.a support slidable in theeshank and extending at each` end thereof, 'a lspring support withinithe shank in one direction, and means orioausing movement of the v.bearing between the support and the shank i' *and tending` to cause movement, of said vsupport Within the'shank in the other d'- ,i 

